A cyclist was killed near the Olympic Park in Stratford, east London, after being hit by a bus ferrying journalists between venues. The man, who police say was 28 years old, was struck by the double-decker just outside the park at about 7.40pm. He was not believed to be one of the Olympic athletes.

The Metropolitan police said the man was pronounced dead at the scene in Ruckholt Road, at the junction with the A12. A man in his mid-60s, believed to be the driver, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and was in custody at an east London police station.

A police spokesman said the cyclist was pronounced dead at the scene. He added that the collision was being investigated by the Met's traffic investigation unit.

A London ambulance service spokeswoman said: "We were called at just after 7.30pm to reports of a road traffic collision involving a cyclist and a coach on the A106.

"We sent a single response car, one ambulance crew, the London air ambulance and the duty officer. Sadly one person was pronounced dead at the scene by the air ambulance doctor."

A spokesman for Games organiser Locog said it was working with the police to establish what happened.

A London 2012 spokesman added: "We can confirm that a cyclist tragically died as a result of a collision with a bus carrying media from the Olympic Park this evening.

"The police are investigating the accident and our thoughts are with the cyclist's family."

"I haven't lived in London for 10 to 15 years now and it's got a lot busier since I was riding a bike as a kid round here, and I got knocked off several times.

"But I think things are improving to a degree – there are organisations out there who are attempting to make the roads safer for both parties. But at the end of the day we've all got to co-exist on the roads. Cyclists are not ever going to go away as much as drivers moan, and as much as cyclists maybe moan about certain drivers they are never going to go away, so there's got to be a bit of give and take."

Wiggins said he would like to see the introduction of a law making it compulsory to wear cycling helmets.